Army asks soldiers, officers to delete Facebook and Instagram accounts, uninstall 80 apps

NEW DELHI: The 13-lakh strong Army has directed all its officers and soldiers to delete their Facebook and Instagram accounts as well as 89 apps from their mobile phones by July 15.

Citing security considerations and leakage of sensitive data, the Army said those who do not follow the order will face strict action. The outlawed apps include the 59 ones with Chinese links, including TikTok, which were banned by the Union government recently.

“The directive has been issued because there has been an exponential increase in the number of military personnel being targeted online by intelligence agencies of Pakistan and China,” said an officer.

The Army in November last year had also directed its personnel to avoid the use of WhatsApp fo